Literature Circles

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Sample Literature Circle Unit
“Conflict” Literature Unit
  1. Theme – Conflict
  2. Generalizations about Conflict
    1. Conflict is natural and inevitable.
    2. Conflict comes in many forms.
  3. Man vs. Man
  4. Man vs. Nature
  5. Man vs. Self
    1. People respond to conflict in a variety of ways.
    2. Literature Choices
    3. Above-Level Choices
      1. Across Five Aprils (Irene Hunt)
      2. Johnny Tremaine (Esther Forbes)
      3. Rumblefish (Hinton)
      4. Lyddie (Patterson)
      5. Holes (Sachar)
      6. The Other Shepards (Griffin)
    4. On-Level Choices
      1. Hatchet (Gary Paulsen)
      2. The Fear Place (Phyllis Naylor Reynolds)
      3. Jason’s Gold (Hobbs)
      4. The Maze (Hobbs)
      5. Rules of the Road (Joan Baur)
    5. Below-Level Choices
      1. Lily’s Crossing (Patricia Giff)
      2. My Louisiana Sky (Kimberly Holt)
      3. So Far from the Bamboo Grove (Yoko Watkins)
  6. Literacy Targets
    1. Plot
    2. Theme
    3. Literary Elements – Conflict
    4. Reading Strategies
      1. Inferences
        1. Characters’ Motivations
        2. Characters’ Feelings
      2. Sequence of Events
      3. Facts and Opinions
      4. Main Ideas and Supporting Details
      5. Author’s Purpose/Strategies/Writing Choices
      6. Comparison and Contrast
      7. Cause and Effect
  7. Assessment Processes
    1. AR Tests
    2. Literacy Skills Tests (3)
    3. Classroom/group assigments
    4. Journal entries
    5. Conferences with students


  1. Learning Activities for the Unit
    1. Literacy Circle with weekly assignments
  2. Discussion Director Re-reads Questions
    1. DD posts 3 Questions once per week on the group’s blog.
    2. Group members respond to 3 Questions on the blog.
  3. Summary Specialist Summmarizes selection
    1. SS writes a 5 sentence summary before the group’s meeting to post on Edmodo.
  4. Group discusses plot elements using plot diagram
    1. SS writes group’s information on the plot diagram to upload to Edmodo.
  5. Group Discussion based on DD Questions
  6. Character King/Queen and Literary Enricher add in information
    1. Character King/Queen posts about one character’s traits/changes on the blog per week.
    2. Literary Enricher posts 4 literary features (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, visualization, idiom each week) on the wiki
  7. Discussion Director
  8. Summary Specialist
  9. Character King/Queen
  10. Literary Enrichers
    1. Defined Roles
    2. 5 Journal Entries about

Discussion Director
Context King/Queen
Summary Specialist
Literary Enricher